Decos' Wretched Plight (Session 4)

These notes are originally from 12.09.2014.

A More Aggressive Incursion

As the party returned to the tunnels, they encounter some kobolds attacking from the shadows. The Men from The North are not surprised, quickly cutting the scaly lil' beast down.  Pushing forward, the party finds a fierce orc hacking away at a group of giant rats.  The party charges the rats, slaying a few and scaring the remainder down the hallway to the East.

The orc is wary, but he makes no move to attack the party.  Fnu boldly acknowledges the orc, asking of him the essential questions; why are you here, has he seen a book here in the tunnels, and of course, what is your name?

Conveniently enough, the Orc speaks some decent common, answering the questions, but still wary of what the adventurers plan to do.  Ru'gash, as he introduced himself, is quite taken by surprise at a generous offer from Fnu.  As payment of hiring him under his service, Fnu gives the orc a valuable gem and promises more if he performs well.  Ru'gash accepts this offer, feeling less threatened by his uneven odds.

Rats come running down corridor to the east squealing in fear.  The straggler is struck by a magical missile launched by the Grumpy Goblin Shaman Schwee.  Fnu shouts out at the critter in it's own language, which catches his attention, but only long enough for him to grumble and just walk off down the corridor to the south of the intersection he had stood in.  The party spies a book and pursues the goblin to a door, that appears to be locked, and he turns and faces the party, obviously very uncomfortable with being within a hairsbreadth away from the Fearsome Northerners.

Fnu has the goblin roughed up a bit, and threatened furiously when he chooses to be uncooperative and answers the party's questions vaguely and without much enthusiasm.  Growing tired of his shriveling lil' captive, Fnu forces the desired information out of the goblin.  Further, the canny magic-user forces the goblin to swear servitude to him for 101 days.  On pain of death.  The goblin Schwee does as he is bid, and finds that it might not be so bad as Fnu offers up a softer side and rewards his minion with a secret gift.

Thus unified, the group continues into the depths of the dungeon...searching for a potentially disastrous magical Staff of Pestilence.

Scatter Bases: Seasonal Trees

"Nock those arrows but quick, knaves - or the gobs will have our wenches for their pleasures!"

I really enjoy "area terrain".  By that, I mean I like to base terrain abstractly on a base sometimes.  Less clutter to fiddle with.  "True" line-of-sight is neat and is the norm for drawing LoS on the table, but I think that area terrain still has a place in today's world of "true" LoS.

We have a lot of large area pieces.  A lot of them are forests.  So, when our buddy Buff Bagworm showed up with some awesome Hobby Lobby trees, we knew a good way to set about using them that would set them apart from our other wooded terrain features - both in functionality on the table and general aesthetics.

"I say, is it getting dark in here or is it just your rakish photography!?  Philistine!"

The autumn set here was one package Buff brought forth to the club.  We put them on round 50mm bases, which we flocked with a mix of different tones to make an earthy fall basing.  Add a few rocks and some clump foliage from Gale Force 9 and you've got some nice scatter bases.  These are small, but add a lot of flavor.  As these are area terrain pieces, the placement of one of these can dramatically change lines of sight.

It's the host of Between Two Trees, Zacharias Gallifreynovakus.

A veritable autumn forest.  Big thanks to Buff Bagworm and his missus!  They are always looking out for us in their travels, and we really appreciate it.

Obvious Troll is Obvious.

Buff brought us another pack of trees from a local...Dollar Tree?  I think so...it's a thrift mart, but sometimes there are treasures within.  Good looking out, Mr. Bagworm!

These bases were treated a bit differently - we added summer clump foliage instead!  These were some sort of seasonal holiday item, and had "snow" sprayed on the boughs.  A little Krylon Camouflage spray and we're good.  Green foliage and BOOM - summer time scatter bases.

"Steady, Hans...they'll never see us out here!"

I am not sure where these two trees came from.  It was a long time ago, and when I was doing this project I saw them in our bin.  So...pine tree scatter bases!

It's a whole new forest terrain selection for the club, for just a few bucks and very little effort.  Big thanks to Buff Bagworm & Co. (and whoever donated the pine trees) - we really dig you guys.  See you on Game Day!

The Face of Mystara, Part II (Session 6)

These notes are originally from 11.30.2014.

After an epic battle, accompanied by the blue dragon Magarastu, the group releases the Warlock Charlie Sheen's friend - a lich.  Upon being released, the undead sorcerer pulls a glowing orb from his cloak and shoves it into the Warlock's chest.



Soon the party is attacked by the black wizard Caiustaius' minions, who appear behind the party before they can react.  Utho begins to fire arrows at the magic-users, but the Warlock yells "STOP!!"

The dragon stoped in mid flight, and the group realized that all time had stopped.  Spells were cast in succession.  The Warlock Charlie Sheen waved his hand, and time resumed.  The black wizard fled, and his minions were defeated (Vortex Savants, Magarastu called them).

The group made it back to the ship, and a magical, shimmering portal was open above it.

"My friends," said the Warlock Charlie Sheen, "thank you for your help."  He turned to Acwellan the Lich, and continued.  "If not for my friends here, I would not have been able to rescue you."

"Thank...You..." the lich replied.

"I'm afraid this is where we part ways."  the Warlock continued.

Some time passed as the magic-users prepared the necessary spells.  The group took this opportunity to get to know the undead sorcerer and his companion - for Charlie Sheen seemed different now that he had obtained his power again.

Todd Decos was brave enough to engage the lich in conversation first.

"How long have you been a...lich?"

"Perhaps...For A Thousand Years."

"Were you human...before?"  Todd ventured.

"Once."

Charlie Sheen cast a spell, and a fully cooked and prepared meal appeared with a table out of thin air.  The Warlock immediately began eating.

The lich looked over the party, and stated "I...Will Take You...Where Ever...You Wish...To Go."

Wickwar inquired of the dragon, "Where will you go?"

The dragon seemed bemused.  "I am already home."

Wickwar was undaunted.  "Where are you trying to run off to?"

Magarastu answered, "Caiustaius held me captive for many years.  I will retake his castle."

Acwellan gave Oliver Duncan a key on a silver chain before wordlessly boarding the boat.

---

The party awakens the next day back in the inn.  The innkeeper informed Oliver that he had a large package waiting for him.  Upon opening the chest that was delivered earlier that day, the voice of the Warlock Charlie Sheen could be heard.

"Thank you my friends.  I thought I would leave this here for you.  You can use it much better than I."

Inside the chest was a trove of valuable treasures, and better still...magical equipment.

The group settles in...wondering if they will ever see the Warlock Charlie Sheen or his undying companion ever again.

"I've spent close to the last decade effortlessly and magically turning your tin cans into pure gold." - The Warlock Charlie Sheen.